The Comics Alternative

Episode 270: A Publisher Spotlight on kuš!

The Comics Alternative is weekly podcast focusing on the world of alternative, independent, and primarily non-superhero comics. (There's nothing wrong with superhero comics. We just want to do something different.) New podcast episodes become available every Wednesday and include reviews of graphic novels and current ongoing series, discussions of upcoming comics, examinations of collected editions, in-depth analyses of a variety of comics texts, and spotlights on various creators and publishers. The Comics Alternative also produces "special feature" programs, such as shows specifically dedicated to creator interviews, webcomics, on-location events, and special non-weekly themes and topics.

This week Gene and Derek focus a critical spotlight on the
Latvian publisher kuš! This is a press that the vast
majority of listeners are probably unaware of -- indeed, neither of
the Two Guys knew about kuš! until about three years ago --
and that's a shame. They produce incredible comics from artists
that span the globe. And as Gene points out, there's really no such
thing as a "kuš! style." The sheer variety of visual
approaches that can be found in kuš! publications is truly
astounding.

Since kuš! publishes so many comics, Derek and Gene have
decided to limit their discussion to just those titles the press
released in 2017. But even that is a challenging volume of output.
Last year kuš! put out four of their š!
anthologies, four kuš! mono volumes, and sixteen
issues in the mini kuš! series. As the guys point out
multiple times during this episode, there's no way to thoroughly
discuss every single title that came out in 2017, but they do their
best to cover as much ground as possible, and in hopes of giving
listeners incentive to check out the wonderful releases from this
publisher.

Here is a complete list of kuš! releases from 2017,
including the month of publication:

About the Podcast

Two guys with PhDs talking about comics! The Comics Alternative is a multi-programmed podcast focusing on the world of alternative, independent, and primarily non-superhero comics. (There's nothing wrong with superhero comics. We just want to do something different.) New review episodes become available every Wednesday and include discussions of graphic novels and current ongoing series, overviews of upcoming comics, examinations of collected editions, insightful analyses of a variety of critical texts, and spotlights on various creators and publishers. The Comics Alternative also produces a many in-depth interviews with creators. In addition, you'll find a variety of themed monthly programs, such as shows specifically dedicated to webcomics, manga, comics for younger readers, European albums, and on-location events.